New Brain Cells Support Cognition and Emotion

We’ve reported before on the evidence that our brains keep generating new neurons even into adulthood. Now scientists have been able to investigate more about specifically where these neurons appear in the brain, and how these areas differ between different mammals (in this study, humans and mice). The scientists from Sweden and Germany noted that a key difference in adult neurogenesis in humans seems to be the generation of new neurons in the human striatum — a region of the brain associated with coordination, cognition and emotions.

A layman’s interpretation of this might be that in human society we need to keep adapting and developing our cognitive and emotional skills throughout our lives as we adapt to new phases of life and new demands. Therefore we have evolved brains that can grow and change in the regions that support these processes.